


same old constellation

by intertwiningsouls



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Dorks, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Mutual Pining, Texting, so much pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2017-07-14
Packaged: 2018-11-20 01:08:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11325504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/intertwiningsouls/pseuds/intertwiningsouls
Summary: Tad Carruthers will not leave Adam Parrish alone, so Adam enlists the help of the guy he wishes he was dating. Of course.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> tad "plot device" carruthers, if you're out there, i'm so sorry buddy. i just need you to push adam right into ronan's arms. thanks pal!!

It was a peaceful night at Monmouth.

Ronan’s room was quiet and dark, filled with an uncharacteristic stillness. The only light came from the streetlights outside and a single string of twinkle lights draped lazily across a bookshelf that held more mess than books.

Ronan lay sprawled out on his unkempt bed, headphones resting around his neck, music just loud enough to still reach his ears. It wasn’t late enough yet for him to be irritated that he wasn’t sleeping, no, right now he was simply enjoying the peace and quiet. If his thoughts kept drifting to a certain boy’s smile, that had nothing to do with why he felt so relaxed tonight.

But it _had_ felt good to make Adam laugh earlier. He was getting easier to break, lately, Ronan noticed. It had started with a near-invisible tug of a smile a few months ago, after another one of Ronan’s pitiful attempts at entertaining Adam, and it had been all downhill from there. At the first hint that Adam might actually find him occasionally funny, Ronan may have spent more time making an ass of himself than he usually did. It was still hit or miss, and Ronan never knew whether he was going to get sarcastic Adam, or Adam laughing until he cried, but if he was completely honest, he liked any version of Adam he could get.

At the end of his bed, half buried under a pair of boxers, Ronan’s phone vibrated, breaking the stillness. He glanced toward it reflexively even though he had no intention of answering anyone tonight.

That is, until he saw the edge of a name on the half covered screen.

_-rrish_

Ronan’s heart skittered in his chest, feeling like somehow Adam _knew_. His phone vibrated again. He reached out and hit the unlock button, holding the screen over his face, squinting against the glow.

 

**_parrish (9:43 pm): Hey._ **

**_parrish (9:43 pm): Call me when you get this._ **

**_parrish  (9:43 pm): I kind of fucked up._ **

**_parrish  (9:44 pm): It’s stupid, I just realized I made that sound a lot more serious than it is, sorry._ **

**_parrish  (9:44 pm): But still, I need your help._ **

 

Curiosity made Ronan’s thumb hover over the screen, very nearly completing the motion of calling the boy he had just been daydreaming about. Concern for Adam and irritation at himself for _wanting_ to call Adam warred in his chest.

Adam texted him often enough, but Ronan couldn’t remember him ever asking Ronan to call. Unlike Gansey, Adam understood how much Ronan despised his phone. So he must have a good reason for wanting to talk -- but then, he also said it wasn’t that serious.

 

 _ronan (9:47 pm): what’s up_  

**_parrish (9:47 pm): Are you free to talk?_ **

_ronan (9:49 pm): is this life or death_  

**_parrish (9:49 pm): No…_ **

_ronan (9:52 pm): im not calling you_

 

__________

 

Why Adam thought Ronan would actually call him, he didn’t know. Why he thought he should even bother Ronan with his stupid issues in the first place, he _really_ didn’t know. It was just that Ronan was the first person he thought of.

Wasn’t that the problem, though?

When Tad had come onto him after school a few days ago, he had been more forward than he’d ever been before, and instead of dropping his usual awkward hints, he had actually come right out and asked Adam on a date. Which would have been fine, had Adam been prepared. But Adam had grown accustomed to their uncomfortable routine; Tad beating around the bush, and Adam skillfully evading the topic without ever having to be direct in return.

Tad moving in way too close and saying, “I’d really like to take you out for dinner sometime,” had come as a total surprise, and he had said it so hopefully, like he fully believed in a world where Adam didn’t find him excruciating to be around. He had looked at Adam with eyes that looked like they probably still believed in Santa Claus, and Adam couldn’t find it in him to flat out reject him. He said the nicest thing he could think of that would still get him out of this situation. “I’m sorry, but I’m dating someone.”

A brief look of disappointment flashed across Tad’s face, then all of a sudden he became oddly excited for someone who had just gotten turned down for a date. “Oh! Do I know them?”

And this is where Adam’s mind got him into trouble, because his first thought led him straight to the broody boy who always kicked his ass in Latin and sometimes crashed on the floor next to his bed on nights where studying and insomnia made them feel like the last two people on earth.

If he had been thinking straight, he would have invented an uncomplicated long-distance relationship and rid himself of Tad’s unwanted attention for good. Instead, he was wondering what it would be like to date Ronan Lynch. When he realized that Tad was still waiting doe-eyed for an answer, all Adam could manage was, “I’m sure you’ve seen him around.”

Tad laughed and gave an enthusiastic clap. “You have to bring him to the end of the year party! I want to meet the guy lucky enough to date Adam Parrish.” Tad grasped at Adam’s shoulder with one hand, and clutched onto his own heart with the other. “Say you’ll come!”

Still too shocked, and frankly too uncomfortable, to think straight, Adam nodded dumbly.

Tad finally seemed satisfied and gave him a jarring clap on the shoulder before walking away, leaving Adam shaken and confused in his wake.

Adam had hoped that maybe Tad would forget about all of this by the time the party rolled around on Friday. He had already promised Gansey and Cheng that he would go, but he feared that showing up empty handed would only make this awkward situation worse if Tad still expected to meet Adam’s mysterious _boyfriend._

Over the next few days at school Tad Carruthers made it abundantly clear that, yes, he still expected to meet Adam’s mysterious boyfriend. Adam tried to make himself invisible in between classes, but every day Tad somehow always managed to find him and say something stupid about Adam’s date for Friday night.

Adam was screwed.

Now it was Thursday night, and he still had not found a way out of this whole situation. As a last resort he had texted Ronan, but that had obviously gone over super well. Gansey would be upset with him if Adam backed out of going to the party now, Tad would be crushed if Adam showed up single and simply _not interested, Tad, goddamnit,_ and Ronan, well, Ronan was probably already pissed at him for bothering him over nothing.

Adam rubbed his eyes wearily and stood up from his desk, knowing he wasn’t going to accomplish any useful studying with his mind a mess like this. He crossed the room to turn off the main light, then found his way to his bed in the dark. He flipped on his dim bedside lamp and laid out across his bed with a sigh, resigning himself to the fact that this was going to suck. He just wasn't sure exactly how, yet.

Just then, a knock sounded at his door.

 

__________

  


Adam Parrish was standing in front of Ronan wearing nothing but a pair of boxers, leaning on the door of his darkened St. Agnes apartment with his hair a tousled mess, and a confused expression on his face. This was not what Ronan was expecting. After a too-long pause, he found his voice. “Jesus Christ, Parrish, wanna put on some clothes?”

“Sorry. Wasn’t expecting company,” Adam replied dryly, turning and leaving the door open behind him. He returned to his poorly lit bed and flopped down unceremoniously, seeming to completely miss the fact that Ronan genuinely wanted him to go put on some clothes. Ronan scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed, following Adam into the small apartment and kicking the door closed behind him.

“You said you needed to talk.” Ronan accused as he slid off his boots by the door.

“Yeah. Over the phone. Hence the no clothes thing,” Adam gestured to his bare torso. “In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t have air conditioning.” He sprawled out across his bed and draped an arm lazily over his face, the light from his bedside lamp casting shadows over his body.

Ronan was frozen by the door, lost in the lines of Adam’s tanned arms, his strong shoulders -- Jesus, _fuck,_ he did not need to know that Adam had perfect abs. Of course. Ronan’s lingering eyes trailed along hip bones softly jutting out over the waistband of low boxers, and suddenly the lack of air conditioning in Adam’s apartment was suffocating. Ronan abruptly moved to Adam’s desk, cluttered with textbooks and papers, and sat, staring at a sheet of Latin homework and willing himself to clear his mind of images that would surely be the death of him. He struggled to remember what he was doing here in the first place. “Are you going to tell me what you fucked up, or did I just waste a trip over here?”

Adam sat up and draped his long legs off the edge of his mattress. “You’re gonna be pissed.

Ronan snorted, still not daring to look Adam’s way. “I’m always pissed, haven’t you noticed?”

Adam cleared his throat. “Tad Carruthers asked me out on Monday.”

For a brief, terrifying moment, Ronan forgot about all of the times Adam had complained to him about Tad’s unwelcome advances. He clenched his jaw and braced himself.

Adam continued, “I didn’t know how to let him down gently.”

Ronan cast a sideways glance at Adam, whose head was in his hands. “You know, Parrish, you could always just say, ‘sorry, not into dudes’ and leave it at that.”

Adam let out a muffled groan, “But I am into dudes, just not _Tad fucking Carruthers_. Besides, it’s too late for that anyway, because now he thinks I have a boyfriend.”

“He what now?” Ronan spun around in his chair to face Adam. Adam fell back onto his bed with a defeated sound and pulled his pillow over his face. When he spoke, Ronan had to struggle to make out the words.

“I have to bring my boyfriend to the party tomorrow night.”

“Your… boyfriend.” Ronan’s head was still spinning.

Adam removed the pillow from his face and let it fall on the bed beside him. He heaved a loud sigh. “Yeah, boyfriend. Just to catch you up on things around here, I have no air conditioning, and I have no boyfriend.”

Ronan didn’t have the energy to spare a sarcastic response just then; he was still trying to wrap his mind around this conversation. “So you need me to help find you a date for this party?”

Adam sat up again and gave Ronan a desperate look. “Who the hell would we find? The party is tomorrow night.”

Ronan chewed on his lip for a moment. “Okay, Parrish, I’m lost. What do you want me to do about it?”

There was a long moment of silence as Adam kept opening his mouth and closing it without speaking. Finally, the words fell out in a rush, “I want you to be my boyfriend for a day.”

Ronan froze. Adam hastily explained how easy it would be to pretend for one evening, and then not see Tad again for the entire summer. It would solve everything.

Ronan’s thoughts screamed at him that this was a terrible idea, a massive fucking mistake, yet somehow he found himself following, “No fucking way,” with, “I’ll think about it,” before putting on his boots and leaving.

So much for a peaceful fucking night.

 

__________

  


The next morning, Adam woke to his phone buzzing on the floor next to his mattress.

 

_ronan (6:08 am): hey fucker_

_ronan (6:08 am): what time do i pick u up_

 

Adam felt the warmth of a smile spread through him.

He told himself it was only relief. Maybe this wouldn’t have to suck, after all.

 

__________

 

Ronan knew he would hear it from Gansey later for skipping the last day of school, but he didn’t see the point -- it wasn’t like one last day was going to salvage his abysmal track record anyway. Besides, he was a little busy dealing with this sick feeling growing in his gut. Aglionby was not happening.

He texted Adam, then got into his car and started driving.

Naturally, he ended up at the Barns without ever consciously deciding to drive there. He always ended up visiting his childhood home when he felt too on edge; the isolated farm had a calming effect on him. As he slowly pulled up the gravel drive, he felt the peace of the Barns wash over him like a physical presence. Maybe he would even be able to catch a nap inside, after the restless night he’d had. He pulled up to the familiar farmhouse and shut off the BMW. A blinking light in the center console pulled his attention to his phone.

 

**_parrish (6:30 am): I knew you’d come around. ;)_**

**_parrish (6:30 am): Seriously, thank you, Ronan._ **

**_parrish (6:30 am): Pick me up at 6._ **

**_parrish (6:31 am): FYI, this is more of a Gansey party than a normal party._ **

 

Ronan grinned at his phone before he could stop himself. At least no one was around to see him.

 

_ronan (6:42 am): so ur telling me to dress nice_

_ronan (6:42 am): i get it, parrish_

_ronan (6:43 am): u know u can just come out & say it _

_ronan (6:43 am): i’m just ur trophy boyfriend_

_ronan (6:43 am): it’s fine i’m not offended_

_ronan (6:44 am): tbh it’s pretty typical for ppl to want me for my body_

**_parrish (6:44 am): Jackass._ **

**_parrish (6:44 am): I’m guessing I’m not going to see you at school today?_ **

_ronan (6:45 am): miss me already babe?_

**_parrish (6:48 am): Nah, you’re just a trophy, remember?_ **

**_parrish (6:48 am): Better not disappoint tonight. I have to be seen with you._ **

**_parrish (6:48 am): Okay, some of us have to get to class. See you tonight. :)_ **

 

And that was how Ronan found himself standing in Declan’s old bedroom, rifling through his abandoned closet. He logically knew that Adam was joking, but that didn’t make what he’d said any less true. Adam was going to be seen with Ronan tonight. In public. Together. At a Gansey-like party. Something told him his usual ripped jeans and black top weren’t going to cut it. If he was going to take Adam Parrish on a date, he was going to do it right, goddamnit. He flipped past dress shirt after dress shirt until he came across a dark charcoal number that looked like it would do the job. He went through Declan’s entire closet until he had assembled a whole outfit.

When he was finished and the clothes were laid out in front of him on Declan’s bed, the reality of the situation hit him full force.

He was going on a date with Adam Parrish tonight.

A fake date, but still.

 

_ronan (11:08 am): i just thought of something_

_ronan (11:08 am): how r we supposed to be convincing_

_ronan (11:08 am): do we need a back story_

_ronan (11:08 am): aliases_

_ronan (11:08 am): do we have to touch_

_ronan (11:08 am): am i allowed to call u fuckhead in front of everyone_

**_parrish (11:15 am): Jesus, I don’t know, Ronan._ **

**_parrish (11:15 am): Just act however you normally act on a date?_ **

**_parrish (11:15 am): Unless you normally call your date “fuckhead.”_ **

**_parrish (11:15 am): Please don’t do that._ **

_ronan (11:21 am): ok just one small problem_

_ronan (11:21 am): i’ve never been on a date_

_ronan (11:21 am): but if i had, i would 100% call them a fuckhead, so sorry ur stuck with that one_

**_parrish (11:21 am): You’ve never been on a date?_ **

_ronan (11:22 am): yeah_

**_parrish (11:23 am): Okay, that’s cool._ **

_ronan (11:23): yeah?_

**_parrish (11:25 am): Yeah. I still have time to teach you. ;)_ **

**_parrish (11:25 am): Rule #1. Don’t call your date a fuckhead, you fuckhead._ **

_ronan (11:27 am): fuck this. u didn’t tell me there were rules_

**_parrish (11:28 am): Well, you’re in luck. I can’t think of anything else._ **

**_parrish (11:30 am): My grand total of three (3) dates all consisted of listening to a girl gossip about boring shit while I sat there wondering why I even bothered to leave my house…_ **

_ronan (11:35 am): i see ur first problem -- going on a date w a girl_

_ronan (11:36 am): i’ll show you how its done_

**_parrish (11:38 am): You just admitted to literally having no clue how it’s done._ **

_ronan (11:40 am): fuck you, fuckhead_

**_parrish (11:40 am): I liked it better when you were calling me babe._ **

**_parrish (11:40 am): Okay, class is starting. Talk to you later, asshole._ **

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (fic title from constellations by tom odell - such a beautiful song that makes me have feelings about ronan's feelings)
> 
> ok folks i just love texting fics, and while i know ronan would rather lose a limb than use his phone, i'm living in an AU where he willingly flirts with adam through text. awkward irl ronan and flirty text ronan is just good stuff?? right??
> 
> i hope you enjoy this!!! i'm always open to feedback!! 
> 
> <3


	2. Chapter 2

Adam’s relief from earlier that morning vanished during lunch when he sat down at a table and saw that he’d received a slew of texts from Ronan.

 

_ronan (11:08 am): do we have to touch_

 

Adam flushed, realizing with a growing feeling of unease that his plan was perhaps not as rock solid as he had initially thought. The prospect of introducing Ronan as his boyfriend in front of classmates he wouldn’t see again for several months was not really an issue for Adam; he didn’t care who knew he would date other guys, and he didn’t care that, at least for a brief time, people would think he was dating Ronan Lynch. Neither of these things were a source of shame for him, so he had carelessly checked off a mental, “this is fine,” box before jumping headfirst into this ridiculous plan.

This terrible, horrible, impossible plan.

This plan that meant he was going to have to spend his entire evening convincing a room full of people that he was head over heels for Ronan Lynch, all while trying to hide the truth of it from Ronan himself. What could possibly go wrong?

Gansey’s voice broke him out of his thoughts. “Have you seen Ronan?”

Adam looked up to see Gansey sliding into the seat across from him, and suddenly he remembered that he would need to clue his friends in on the plan before tonight so Gansey wouldn’t spoil anything in front of Tad. _Hey, don’t freak out, but can you pretend Lynch and I are dating tonight?_

“Um, no, he didn’t come in today.”

Gansey sighed, “Why am I surprised?” He shot a curious glance at the phone in Adam’s hand. “Who are you talking to?”

A flush crept further up Adam’s face. He wanted to lie, but he knew he would have to explain sooner or later. “Ronan.”

Gansey’s jaw dropped, “He’s _texting_ you!? He told me he doesn’t know how!”

Adam rolled his eyes, “Gansey, the guy’s a genius. You seriously believed he couldn’t figure out how to send a text?”

Gansey deflated slightly and gave a little whine, “He never replies."

Adam didn’t know what to say to that. He shrugged.

“What on earth is he texting you about?” Gansey craned his head to try and see Adam’s phone. Adam slid the phone off the table and pocketed it. He leveled a cool look at Gansey and decided it was better to just get this over with. “He’s coming to the party with me tonight.” Before Gansey could even ask, Adam quickly continued, “Carruthers won’t leave me alone, so I sort of lied about having a boyfriend.” He held up a hand to keep Gansey from interrupting. “I was an idiot and agreed to bring my non-existent boyfriend to this stupid party, so now I need Ronan to stand in for the night to get Tad off my back.” He exhaled, relieved to have gotten all of that out. “Please say you’ll play along.”

Gansey sat in astonished silence.

While he waited for Gansey to come back down to earth, Adam slid his phone out and quickly replied to Ronan’s messages.

Across the table, Gansey finally spoke. “Ronan actually _agreed_ to this? How did you manage to talk him into it? I asked him to go to this party, like, eight times! How are you getting him to text you? There’s so much I need to know!”

Adam gave another shrug, “I just asked. So will you play along?”

Gansey shook his head in disbelief, but agreed,  “Of course. Just tell me if there’s anything I need to know.”

Relieved to have his friend’s support, Adam nodded and went back to eating in silence.

 

__________

 

A few moments later, Adam’s phone buzzed three times in quick succession. Gansey looked up from his salad and raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. He watched Adam’s eyes grow wide as he read the texts, presumably from _Ronan_ , and then Adam snorted quietly and a soft smile spread across his face. He seemed to completely forget Gansey’s presence as he quickly typed out a reply and waited, staring at his phone. There was a quick exchange of texts and Adam’s smile shifted into a mischievous smirk. Gansey watched the silent exchange in wonder, curiosity eating at him every time Adam huffed out a small laugh.

Gansey made up his mind to text Ronan incessantly until he figured out what the hell was going on.

Adam was still smirking when he gathered his messenger bag and headed off to his next class.

 

__________

 

 

_dick (11:45 am): Why is Adam smiling?_

_dick (11:45 am): What are you two talking about?_

_dick (11:45 am): He spent half of lunch smirking at his phone._

_dick (11:47 am): I know you can see this, Ronan._

_dick (11:50 am): RONAN._

  
  


_ronan (11:50 am): u told gansey i was texting you???_

**_parrish (11:51 am): You told him you “don’t know how to text”? Really, Lynch?_ **

_ronan (11:51 am): hey it worked didn’t it? until u came along & ruined everything _

**_parrish (11:51 am): Sorry. He was right there._ **

_ronan (11:52 am): oh i know. he said u couldn’t stop smiling at me_

**_parrish (11:52 am): Shh. I’m in class. Bye._ **

_ronan (11:52 am): sure, sure. wouldnt wanna get caught smiling at ur phone like a nerd_

  
  


_ronan (11:54 am): what do u want gansey_

_dick (11:55 am): He DOES text!_

_dick (11:55 am): Are you going to tell me what Adam was so happy about?_

_ronan (11:56 am): fuck if i know. my natural charm??_

_dick (11:57 am): Ha ha._

_dick (11:58 am): So you’re coming tonight after all?_

_ronan (11:58 am): yes? i’m assuming parrish told u everything_

_dick (12:00 pm): He did. Are you sure this is a good idea?_

_ronan (12:03 pm): its most certainly a bad idea_

_ronan (12:03 pm): never stopped me before_

_dick (12:03 pm): So why do it then, if you know it’ll make things harder?_

_ronan (12:03 pm): in case u havent noticed… it is kind of hard to say no to adam parrish_

_dick (12:05 pm): I actually have noticed that._

_dick (12:05 pm): Good luck, Ronan._

_dick (12:05 pm): If you need anything, I guess you know how to reach me._

  
  
__________

 

Imagining Adam smiling at his phone in the school cafeteria did nothing to quell Ronan’s nerves. He had taken a walk out to the barns to say hello to the animals, hoping it would give him something else to focus on, but even the sun’s position in the sky nagged at his brain, constantly reminding him what time it was. A mental clock ticked away the minutes; the stretch of empty hours between now and when he would pick Adam up taunted him. Normally, the peace and quiet of the Barns was just what he needed, but as the morning turned into afternoon, the need to _do something_ ached inside of Ronan.

He packed Declan’s dress clothes into the BMW and turned his music up as loud as it would go for the drive back to Monmouth.

 

When he pulled into the parking lot at Monmouth Manufacturing, the first thing he saw was Noah Czerny perched on the hood of his red mustang, wearing a bright yellow Casper the Ghost tee, with his white blonde hair tucked neatly under a lavender snapback. Noah Czerny accounted for 95% of the color in Monmouth Manufacturing, the other 5% belonging to Gansey’s selection of horrific polo shirts. Noah’s loud presence was grounding before Ronan even shut off his engine.

Noah lifted a hand in a lazy peace sign as a greeting. When Ronan turned off his music and stepped out of his car, Noah slid off the mustang and followed him inside. “Heard you’ve got a date tonight.”

“Fake date. Who told you?”

“Does it matter? You’re not wearing that are you?” Noah eyed him up and down.

“I’m not an idiot,” Ronan scoffed, then added with a wicked grin, “I stole some of Declan’s clothes.”

“Perfect! Declan’s a babe.” Noah grinned. “What time are you leaving?”

“Adam said to come get him at six.”

Noah glanced at the clock on the wall. “Okay, we’ve got some time. Pull up a chair.”

Ronan stared blankly at him until Noah huffed out an exasperated sigh, “Unless you’re trying to grow it out, I guess?” He looked at Ronan’s hair like it held the answer. When Ronan shrugged indifferently, Noah smiled and disappeared into the kitchen-bathroom. “I’ll get the razor!”

 

Ronan sat perfectly still under Noah’s hands. It had been a while since they had done this. It used to be a frequent occurrence, Noah shaving Ronan’s head for him whenever he needed it, but Ronan had since gotten quite good at doing it himself. So maybe it was a little overgrown. He had just been busy, lately. Distracted.

For a brief moment, he wondered what it would be like if Adam was the one who volunteered to do this. He pictured long slender fingers skillfully running over his head. 

He closed his eyes and sighed into the feeling of the razor buzzing his head clean. Noah hummed softly behind him, working quickly. Then all of a sudden his free hand began to tap out a rhythm on Ronan’s head and he burst out singing,   _"I_ _n the car - I just can't wait - to pick you up on our very first date. Is it cool if I hold your hand? Is it wrong if I think it's lame to dance?”_

Ronan groaned loudly in protest, but, as usual, Noah was completely endearing even while being an obnoxious little shit. Ronan couldn't help but grin, knowing Noah couldn’t see his face.

_“Do you like my stupid hair? Would you guess that I didn't know what to wear? I'm just scared of what you think, you make me nervous so I really can't eat.”_

“Enough, Noah, Jesus!” Ronan protested weakly.

Noah skipped an entire section of the song, and his voice doubled in volume. “ _I dread the thought of our very first kiss; a target that I'm probably gonna miss.”_

Ronan was out of his chair in a second. He spun to face Noah, ready to throw him out a window.

Noah brandished the electric razor like a weapon. “Not so fast, Cowboy. You’ve got a nice ring of baby fuzz left around your head, so unless you wanna take sweet Adam Parrish on a date while looking like a disgruntled monk, you’d better sit your ass back down and let me finish.”

Ronan glared at Noah but knew he had been beat. He slumped back into the chair and muttered, “Please just be quiet.”

Noah’s voice was sweetly teasing. “Aw, is Ronan Lynch getting nervous?”  
  
“Fuck off.” Ronan didn’t have it in him to put any heat behind the words.

Noah was quieter, now. “Hey, you know he likes you, right?”

Ronan snorted. “Did you miss the part where this is fake?”

“No,” Noah insisted, “I know. I’m just telling you that he likes you, and that he probably wouldn’t mind if you asked him on a _real_ date.”

Ronan bit back the hopefulness threatening to show in his voice. “How would you even know that?”  
  
Noah hummed casually, “Does it matter?” He shut the razor off and dusted his hands along Ronan’s shoulders. “Now go shower. Time is ticking.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god bless noah czerny. that's all i have to say. 
> 
> the song he sings is [first date](https://youtu.be/vVy9Lgpg1m8) by blink-182
> 
> if you're looking for songs that fit the mood a little better, here's the [playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/sylmoons/playlist/3IBOveGRjTZsLKazL12vic) for this fic.
> 
> hope you like where this is headed!!!
> 
> ps. in case it wasn't obvious, the beginning of this chapter is just a glimpse at adam's real life reaction to his convo with ronan at the end of the last chapter. he's a goner.
> 
> pps. i got the idea for noah shaving ronan's head from a headcanon/prompt on tumblr but i can't remember where?? so if you posted a thing about ronan's friends always being the ones to shave his head and how it's his fav thing, heyyy!! i'd love to credit you for the beautiful idea.


	3. Chapter 3

School let out early on the last day, so Adam had picked up a shift at Boyd’s for that afternoon. He told himself he needed the money he would earn from even just a few hours of work, but a part of him knew that he wouldn’t have been able to handle sitting at home idly waiting for Ronan to pick him up later that night.

He was half-focused on replacing an alternator and while it gave his hands something to do, it wasn’t quite challenging enough to keep his mind occupied. He cast another glance at the clock that hung on the garage wall. Five o’clock. Still thirty minutes left until he would need to go home and get cleaned up.  

The garage radio was playing loudly enough that Adam felt more than heard his phone go off in the back pocket of his coveralls. Wiping a hand on an oil stained rag, he pulled his phone out to see if it was anything important. He silently cursed himself for how eagerly he hoped it was another message from Ronan.

 

_ ronan (5:00 pm): hey parrish wanna hang out tonight and throw shit off the roof _

**_adam (5:00 pm): Can’t. I have a date to this swanky party in town._ **

_ ronan (5:01 pm): ugh _

**_adam (5:01 pm): You okay?_ **

_ ronan (5:02 pm): just not thrilled at the idea of mingling with shitty versions of gansey all night _

_ ronan (5:02 pm): not really my scene _

**_adam (5:02 pm): I’d say you still have time to change your mind, but please don’t - I really don’t want to go without you. Not exactly my scene either._ **

**_adam (5:02 pm): Hey, I have to finish up at work._ **

**_adam (5:03 pm): Try not to worry about tonight. It’ll be fine._ **

 

He might as well have been talking to himself with that last message. Ever since Ronan had asked him how they were supposed to be convincing, Adam couldn’t stop imagining scenarios of Tad approaching them and Adam saying, “This is my boyfriend, Ronan,”  _ out loud. _ The fact that Ronan would be standing right there listening to him say those words made Adam’s chest feel tight. 

Adam took a deep breath and turned back to his work, focusing hard on the most mundane details. He could worry later. 

 

__________

 

 

Half an hour later, Adam was standing in front of his meager closet, still wearing dirty coveralls tied around his waist, cursing himself for not thinking about this earlier. He had been so determined to not worry about tonight that he actually hadn’t worried enough, for once. 

He hadn't been joking when he had told Ronan that this would be Gansey’s kind of party. The rowing club was technically throwing it, but Adam doubted they would have much control over it as it would be held on school grounds. School faculty would be there, parents probably - just another event meant to show off how impressive Raven boys were, another party to attract sizeable donations from people who had more money than they knew what to do with. He knew he didn't own anything nice enough for this; he was going to stick out like a sore thumb. Panic pricked at the edge of his mind. It was too close to time to go, he was just going to have to settle for his school uniform. 

Shame welled up inside of him, telling him that none of this mattered, that it was all pretend anyway. His nicest outfit was a uniform he’d gotten due to a scholarship, and tonight he would be wearing his scholarship clothes to a party he was only invited to because of his proximity to Richard Gansey III, and not only that, but he would be arriving at said party with the heavy knowledge that this lie for Tad Carruthers would be the closest he would ever come to dating the boy he silently ached for. 

Around the pounding of his heart, Adam considered calling the whole thing off. 

His phone vibrated in his pocket, snapping him out of his thoughts. He quickly blinked away the wetness forming behind his eyes, feeling like he had been caught at something.

 

_ ronan (5:36 pm): hey _

_ ronan (5:36 pm): can i come up _

 

A different kind of panic surged inside Adam. He went to the window to look down on the parking lot, and sure enough, there was Ronan Lynch; leaning against his BMW looking like he came straight out of a magazine. He was typing into his phone with one hand and clutching onto a bag with the other. 

The contrast between him and Adam was painful even from this distance; without even trying, without knowing he was being watched, Ronan looked like a god standing there in the afternoon sun. His unguarded expression was soft, somehow simultaneously peaceful and nervous. Adam wished he would be allowed to see that look on Ronan’s face up close. 

He imagined for a brief moment that he was allowed to go downstairs and greet Ronan at his car, that he could press his hands to Ronan’s chest, that he could press his lips to Ronan’s jaw, that he could-- 

The reality of Ronan Lynch standing in the parking lot outside his apartment, waiting to come up, scattered Adam’s daydreams away for a later time. 

Below, Ronan pocketed his phone and looked up at Adam’s apartment. Adam reached for his phone before it even vibrated. 

 

_ ronan (5:37 pm): i know im fucking early but i couldnt sit still and gansey wouldnt shut up _

 

Adam took a deep breath and typed out a hasty reply with shaking fingers. 

 

__________

 

 

Jesus Christ, Adam really needed to stop answering the door in various stages of undress. As if Ronan’s heart wasn’t beating hard enough already, now he had to face Adam in a too small white t-shirt with oil stained coveralls tied low around his waist. Ronan gripped the doorjamb and tried desperately not to eye Adam up and down. Goddamn. Adam had no idea what he was doing, did he? Ronan couldn’t keep the smile out of his voice. “Thought you said this was a Gansey party, Parrish.” 

Adam moved aside to give Ronan room to enter. He looked thoroughly unamused, possibly even a little ill.  “I have to shower. Are you coming in, or do you just want to stand there telling me how good I look all night?” 

Ronan felt a flush creeping up his neck. He stepped into the room and pushed a bag into Adam’s chest as he passed. Adam clutched at it and wryly said, “I didn’t know we were doing gifts.”

“Don’t flatter yourself. It’s from Noah.” 

 

__________

 

 

Adam’s apartment suddenly felt cramped when he opened the door to let Ronan in. It was worse, so much worse up close. The pull of Ronan’s open expression from only a moment ago was made even stronger by the sharp lines of his face. Even without the usual fire in his eyes, Ronan Lynch was fiercely handsome. He was wearing an expensive outfit that was sharp and dark in a distinctively  _ Ronan _ way, not to mention it looked like it was perfectly tailored to every inch of his body. The sheer perfection of it only served to remind Adam just how inadequate he was for any of this. 

And then Ronan was crashing into his room like he owned the place, and there was a bag shoved into Adam’s chest.

He peered inside suspiciously, then reached into the bag and pulled out a neatly folded dress shirt in the brightest white he had ever seen. Glancing further into the bag, he saw a pair of black slacks and an expensive looking pair of dress shoes. Noah had sent him a complete outfit. 

He could not help the overwhelming wave of gratitude that washed over him. When he spoke, his voice caught on the lump in his throat. “I can’t accept this. I can’t wear Noah’s clothes.”

Ronan was sitting on Adam’s bed, leaning up against the wall - his relaxed posture a direct contradiction to the crisp near-black shirt that fit tight across his chest. He shot Adam a shit-eating grin, “Why the fuck not? I’m wearing Declan’s.” 

 

__________

 

 

God, making Adam Parrish laugh was never going to get old. Watching his face change from  _ I’m worthless because I don’t own nice clothes _ to  _ God, Ronan, you stupid asshole  _ was already making this whole night worth it. Ronan thought to back to earlier that evening when Adam had said this party wasn’t his scene either, and wondered if he would try to spend the whole evening comparing himself to all of the rich pricks there. 

Maybe Adam really  _ was _ glad Ronan was going with him, if for no other reason than to have someone to crack stupid jokes with. Ronan determined then and there that he was going to make this night fun for Adam, no matter what it took.

Ronan waited from his spot on the bed while Adam took Noah’s bag of clothes into the bathroom and started the shower. At the sound of water running, Ronan cursed himself for showing up early and having to live through the knowledge that Adam Parrish was currently stripping off a sweaty mechanics uniform in the next room. 

Ronan pulled out his phone, desperate for a distraction. 

He had one new notification.

 

czerny (5:40 pm):  when you smile, i melt inside

_ ronan (5:48 pm): jesus christ... _

czerny (5:48 pm): i'm not worthy for a minute of your time!!!

_ ronan (5:48 pm): noah i swear to god _

czerny (5:50 pm): have fun 2nite buddy!!! send me a pic of adam’s outfit ;)

czerny (5:50 pm): seriously ro. HE. LIKES. YOU. go get ‘em tiger

_ ronan (5:51 pm): im done talking to you now. _

czerny (5:51 pm): i want details later!!

_ ronan (5:52 pm): goodbye noah _

 

Noah was the worst person to be talking to right now, Ronan decided. He didn’t need the constant encouragement to get his hopes up. He knew he would regret it later, but he opened a new conversation and texted Gansey, needing something, anything, to help bring him back to reality.

 

_ ronan (5:53 pm): got any tips for faking your own death _

_ dick (5:53 pm): Aren’t you with Adam? _

_ ronan (5:53 pm): hes in the shower. im dying _

_ dick (5:54 pm): I hate to state the obvious here, but if you’re dying you may not need to fake your own death. _

_ ronan (5:57 pm): u always give the best advice _

_ dick (5:58 pm): Come find me tonight if you need anything. You’ll be fine. You hang out with Adam all the time. _

 

_ Not like this, _ Ronan thought as Adam stepped out of the bathroom. He was dressed head to toe in crisp, unforgiving clothes that hugged every lean, muscular line of his body. White sleeves rolled up over tanned forearms, black tie draped around his neck, untied. Towel-dried hair still a mess, face still flushed from the shower.  _ Fuck.  _ Ronan knew he was staring. He knew Adam knew he was staring. 

Why couldn’t he stop staring?

 

__________

 

 

When Adam stepped out into his bedroom, Ronan had looked up from his phone and frozen in place. Adam had caught him looking before, but had always written it off as nothing. This, though.  _ This _ was not nothing. He didn’t know what it meant, but all at once he was viscerally aware of the heat in Ronan’s gaze. A gnawing feeling in his stomach said  _ this isn’t new.  _ He promptly shoved the thought away. In the next moment the cheap flash of a cell phone camera went off in his face. 

“What the fuck, Ronan?” He said, blinking in disbelief. 

Ronan looked up at him from the bed and gave him an innocent shrug. “What? Noah wanted to see.” 

 

__________

 

 

_ ronan (6:00 pm): [1 attachment] _

_ ronan (6:00 pm): do u see what you’ve done _

_ ronan (6:00 pm): how am i supposed to survive this _

czerny (6:01 pm): OH MY GOD!!! ronan. buddy. im so sorry

czerny (6:01 pm): i ddi not thinkt his through

czerny (6:01 pm): if u die tonight it is NOT MY FAULT

czerny (6:01 pm): i repeat. not my fault!!! sweet lord

 

Ronan was laughing at his phone in a quietly exasperated way when suddenly he felt Adam lean in to look. He jumped back, shoving his phone behind his back. “What the fuck, Parrish, can’t a guy have some privacy?” Adam was so close Ronan could see the individual freckles on his cheekbones. Adam rolled his eyes, unaffected, and asked, “What did he say?”

Ronan swallowed. His gaze traced over the elegant lines of Adam’s face, drawn into his open blue eyes. He could feel himself slipping into staring again. His voice was too quiet when he finally found words. “He said you look good.” 

A crooked smile crossed Adam’s face. He raised one eyebrow. “Really?”

Ronan smirked, “I believe his exact words were ‘Sweet Lord,’ but I’m pretty sure that means good.” 

Adam laughed, “Let me see!” and reached around for Ronan’s phone.

“No fucking way!” Ronan scooted along the bed, as far away as he could get, leaning back on his elbows and trying to shove Adam away with his legs. There was no way he was going to let Adam read his most recent texts, but Ronan couldn’t find it in himself to completely break away from this either. Adam was laughing again, full and careless this time, and he never wanted it to end. 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> are they ever going to make it to this dang party?? this is the end of what i've finished writing so far, so who even knows! the good news is that if the next chapter takes me a while to write, these two clueless dorks can pass the time casually wrestling on adam's bed in sexy dress clothes. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ 
> 
> (AU where declan & ronan, and noah & adam can share clothes with them magically fitting perfectly, okay? i needed this)
> 
> thank you for reading!!! your comments are so encouraging!! <3


	4. Chapter 4

Ronan stood facing Adam, their bodies mere inches apart, his hands trembling at Adam’s throat.

He was trying to tie Adam’s fucking tie, and it wasn’t fucking working.

Why he had even agreed to help Adam with his tie in the first place was lost on him now. This was a combination of all of his favorite dreams, but it felt more like a nightmare. He could feel Adam’s warm eyes on him, he couldn’t breathe without inhaling the woodsy scent of Adam’s soap and the lingering hint of gasoline, and worst of all, he couldn't help the accidental touches his clumsy hands left on Adam’s chest while trying to get this damn knot to look right, and he just --

Adam’s hand came up to steady his wrist. “It’s fine,” he said reassuringly, “I’d rather not wear the tie, actually. It’s going to be stuffy enough without this thing strangling me all night.”

Ronan willed his hand to stay steady through Adam’s touch. He avoided Adam’s gaze and mumbled, “I’ve never tried it on another person before. It works fine when I do it myself.”

Adam released his wrist to untie the failed knot and laughed a little, “It’s okay, I obviously don’t know how to tie one either.”

Ronan looked up, his scowl deepening. “You don’t believe me?”

In response, Adam lifted the tie from around his neck and draped it around Ronan’s, the backs of his hands lightly grazing Ronan’s chest as they slid down the length of the tie on either side.

Ronan was sure the entire apartment was shaking with the force of his heartbeat.

Adam quirked an eyebrow. “Well? By all means, prove me wrong.”

Ronan tried desperately to remember how to breathe, much less how to tie a tie.

Miraculously, his hands went through the motions on their own, and within a few short moments he was standing before Adam with his tie tied correctly. Adam was visibly impressed, although he tried to hide it by reaching out to fix Ronan’s work. “I guess I always thought Gansey did it for you.”

“Good to know you have such a high opinion of me,” Ronan scoffed, reaching up to loosen the tie, satisfied that he had proved his point. Adam’s hand nudged his out of the way. “Leave it,” he said softly, a request more than a command. “It looks good.”

Ronan’s mind went blank. Around the blood rushing in his ears all he could hear was Noah’s voice. _You know he likes you, right?_

 

__________

 

 

“Oh, good, we’re not even ten minutes late yet and Tad is already wondering where I am,” Adam grumbled, frowning at his phone as he and Ronan made their way across the parking lot to Ronan's car.

“Let me see that.” Ronan reached for the phone and Adam released it without hesitation.

 

**_tad carruthers (6:07 pm): Hey Adam! :) Are you still coming tonight? :) Can't wait to see you! :)_ **

 

Under his breath, Ronan hissed in disbelief. “This fucking guy.” He immediately began to type out a response.

 

**_adam (6:08 pm): sorry bro my date got here and distracted me_ **

**_adam (6:08 pm): u know how it is ;)_ **

**_adam (6:08 pm): hes just so goddamn sexy_ **

**_adam (6:09 pm): we’ll get there when we get there_ **

**_adam (6:09 pm): maybe_ **

 

Ronan handed the phone back to Adam with a satisfied smirk. Adam immediately read the texts and his jaw dropped in disbelief. He punched Ronan’s arm and muttered, “You asshole,” but the amused grin settling onto his face betrayed him.

 

___________

 

 

Inside the car, Ronan asked, “He's really bothering you, isn't he?” -- like he was just now understanding why Adam had been so desperate for a date.

Adam shrugged weakly. “He texts me at least once a day, even though I almost never respond. He just can't seem to take a hint.”

Ronan snorted. “Don't you think ‘I have a boyfriend’ is more than a hint?”

“I mean, that’s why I said it. Figured it was a universally understood rule that you should leave someone alone. Maybe he just has to see it to believe it,” Adam said hopefully.

Ronan was quiet for a long moment and then he cleared his throat, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. “Speaking of him believing it, how are we going to do this?”

There was a pause. Ronan cast a glance at Adam, whose face was turned away to look out the window. When Adam spoke he almost sounded nervous. “Would you hate me if I say I have no idea?”

“Probably.”

Adam let out a small laugh that almost sounded like a sigh. “I have no idea.”

“Thanks, Parrish. Glad you signed me up for this shitshow and neglected to come up with any sort of roadmap. If I punch Tad Carruthers tonight, I’m letting you know right now, that’s on you.”

This time Adam sighed for real. “It shouldn't be that complicated. Just act like you like me for a couple hours, if you think you can handle it.”

Ronan’s face darkened. “The fuck are you talking about, I always act like I like you.”

“Okay, but for right now, we’re talking a little less, ‘we argue to pass time and throw shit for fun’ and a little more ‘oh my god, my heart stops when I look at you, I am the luckiest man in the world, et cetera,’” Adam drawled dramatically. “You are familiar with the idea of romantic attraction, right? That’s what we’re going for tonight.”

“God, Adam, no need to be an asshole about it; if you want to hold my hand, just ask.” Ronan grumbled. He realized a moment too late that he had called Adam _Adam._ His face flushed and he prayed Adam would keep his eyes on the passing scenery.

Another pause. When Adam finally spoke, it was barely loud enough to break the silence. “I might actually need to. Is that okay?” The nerves in Adam’s voice hinted at panic as the BMW pulled into the parking lot and Ronan shut off the engine.

Ronan took a breath and collected himself, reminding himself that Adam was going out of his comfort zone tonight, too. However terrifying it was to think about Adam Parrish’s beautiful fingers intertwining with his, there was a good chance that Adam was just as nervous as he was about the evening ahead of them. Obviously not for the same reasons, but nervous for this party; the people made of money, the pretentious way everyone carried themselves, Adam’s constant fear that his upbringing was written all over his face. Not to mention the asshole who insisted on invading Adam’s personal space at every possible opportunity. One look at Adam’s white-knuckled hand clutching the door handle, and Ronan knew that he would do anything Adam asked.

Ronan reached across the car and nudged Adam’s shoulder with what he hoped was an encouraging shove. “Whatever you need, Fuckhead.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey a fun little chapter of adam flirting without realizing it and ronan trying not to die!
> 
> ronan lynch spends 50% of his time trying not to scream "YOU'RE GORGEOUS AND I LOVE YOU" at adam, and he spends the other 50% trying to be a better friend and make adam's life easier. a+ ronan you're doing great buddy!
> 
> as always, thanks for reading!!! i love hearing that other people are enjoying this too!!


	5. Chapter 5

“Call me Fuckhead one more time and I’m breaking up with you,” Adam threatened emptily, gaining the courage to pull himself out of Ronan’s charcoal grey BMW. He eyed the thin crowd of people trickling into the building across the parking lot and his heart picked up a different rhythm.

Ronan’s car door slammed behind him and Adam could hear footsteps approach until he felt Ronan by his side. A shoulder nudged his and Ronan's voice in his ear said, “Well, Parrish, I hope you live a long and happy life with Tad.” And then Ronan was walking away, striding towards the main building like he had nothing at all to be afraid of.

Adam caught up quickly, not wanting to be left behind with his fears in the parking lot. Ronan looked smug at having a slightly out of breath Adam by his side again. “Oh, yeah, that’s right. You _need_ me.” He grinned wickedly and added, “Fuckhead.”

Adam wondered briefly at the way attraction and irritation tangled so easily in his chest when it came to Ronan Lynch. The irritation won out this time as he leveled Ronan with a glare. “Ronan, I’m serious. Nobody is going to believe us.”

Ronan let out the laugh he always gave Adam when he had succeeded in pushing one too many of his buttons. By now, they had joined the small crowd of well-dressed people lingering and making small talk on the pathway towards the main building. Adam felt a jolt run through him when Ronan leaned his head in close to Adam’s and said in a low voice, “Relax, babe, I’ve got this.”

Adam could feel his face turning red. He was used to insults as nicknames; he knew they were Ronan’s particular brand of fondness, and that had always been okay with him. But as if hearing Ronan address him in that low voice wasn't bad enough, he had used a name that did away with all teasing and insults and held only affection. Adam was now painfully aware of how badly he wanted to hear it again and again and again.

 

__________

 

 

Pulling different reactions out of Adam had always been one of Ronan’s favorite pastimes, but this development took things to whole new level. Adam had been thoroughly annoyed with him, and then with one sentence Ronan had turned him into a stammering mess of pink blushes and averted eye contact.

“Oh my God,” Ronan said, a thrill running through him at his discovery.  “You like pet names.” He jabbed an accusatory finger at Adam.

Adam promptly swatted him away and insisted, “I do not.”

Ronan was thoroughly unconvinced. “You do. You like sickeningly sweet pet names. I bet you have a favorite. Babe? Sweetheart? Angel? Dear?”

Adam’s face was turning a darker shade of red and and he wasn't even trying to hide his annoyance. He shoved at Ronan’s shoulder. “I do not have a favorite. I’ve never even thought about it before.”

Ronan continued on, like he hadn't even heard Adam speak. “Honey? My love? Beautiful?”

Adam sighed noisily beside him. “Honestly, Ronan, any of those are better than the names you usually call me. You haven't exactly set the bar very high.”

Ronan snickered, knowing how right Adam was. He stepped closer, keeping his voice down so nearby party guests wouldn't overhear, and said, “What, you don't like the sound of, ‘My heart stops when I look at you, Shitbrain’?”

 Adam burst out laughing. Ronan's heart soared.

 

__________

 

 

The evening was off to a surprisingly good start. Ronan and Adam had slipped into the crowd unnoticed, gravitating towards a punch table in the corner of the room. Their conversation and laughter flowed easily, mostly at the expense of the other party guests. They were wrapped up in a game of watching particularly wealthy-looking people across the room, trying to read lips, making up wild and sometimes inappropriate dialogue as they went. Adam had relaxed quickly, and was laughing easily at their childish game.

Ronan watched him, quietly considering how this was an evening he was never supposed to enjoy and was only experiencing due to a bizarre one-time mistake. Here he was, on school grounds, wearing restrictive dress clothes, waiting to interact with an intrusive asshole whose main goal in life was to make Adam Parrish uncomfortable. He knew objectively that he should be miserable tonight, but he couldn’t help the warmth blooming in his chest. Standing in front of him was a beautiful boy who always challenged him when it mattered and let him be when it didn’t; and Ronan held the knowledge that he could make this boy laugh if he tried hard enough, blush if he chose the right words, light a fire in his eyes if he pressed the right buttons.

Adam looked at him questioningly, and Ronan realized with a flush that he hadn’t been listening. He tried to mask it by bringing his cup of punch up to his face and taking a drink.

Adam tapped him once on the side of the head. “You in there?”

Ronan flinched away and complained, “Fuck off, Parrish. I needed a minute to think about how I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

Adam let out a hearty laugh and then replied, softer, “You know, you don’t have to look at me like that when Tad's not around.”

Ronan’s heart thudded in his chest at the hint that Adam had been able to read his thoughts. He painted on a smirk, and replied, “It’s Tad. He could be watching at any moment.” In a stage whisper, he added, “For all we know, the little fucker has been hiding under the punch table this whole time, staring at your ankles.”

Adam tried to restrain himself, but dissolved into laughter despite his best efforts. He dragged a hand down his face and groaned, “Fuck, Ronan, I did not need to imagine Tad Carruthers with an ankle kink.”

Ronan’s responding laughter was cut short when he caught a glimpse of a figure approaching from across the room. Adam’s laughter died down when he saw the change on Ronan’s face and he gave Ronan a questioning look.

Ronan eyed Adam up and down with a mischievous grin, “Hope Noah’s pants are long enough for you.” He nodded towards the approaching boy. “Incoming.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's apparently my new nightly routine to write a super short chapter of ronan and adam being complete disasters for each other, while i put off anything plot related as long as possible. 
> 
> thank you all for your sweet comments!! i'm so happy knowing you've enjoyed this so far, and hope it will continue to bring a smile to your face!! 
> 
> and ok i know this is another super short chapter, and i can't wait for more texting, tad, noah, gansey, etc. but i wanted to keep with my routine of posting whatever i write as soon as i write it. keeps me going!! thanks for sticking with me!!!
> 
> hope you enjoy!! <3
> 
> as always, feedback is appreciated! good or bad!


	6. Chapter 6

Ronan imagined if you captured a tornado and put it in the body of a socially awkward teenage boy, you would end up with something like Tad Carruthers. He watched the boy make his way across the room, a small smile tugging at his lips. He could admire the boy’s ignorant sort of bravery, if nothing else.

Ronan nudged Adam’s side. “Ready, beautiful?”

Adam brought both hands up to cover his blushing face and made a muffled noise that sounded like, “Please stop.”

Ronan raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Really, Parrish?” He laughed. “Okay, beautiful is better than babe. Duly noted.”

Adam was trying so hard to glare at him, but it was difficult to take him seriously when his face was that embarrassing shade of pink. A warmth inside Ronan urged him to say something, and for once he didn’t immediately shove the thought away. He considered the fact that Tad was close enough now that the act was on; he was supposed to be Adam’s boyfriend -- he was allowed to say boyfriend things. Before Tad could completely invade the moment, Ronan bumped his elbow against Adam’s and casually said, “Beautiful suits you better, anyway.”

In the next moment, two things happened at once: Tad Carruthers broke through the atmosphere with an overly excited greeting, and Adam turned toward Ronan and breathed, “I need a minute,” and disappeared.

Ronan was left standing in front of a beaming, although slightly confused, Tad Carruthers. Alone.

 

__________

 

Adam found himself in a darkened hallway, away from the noise of the party. He sank down to sit on the floor and desperately tried to calm his heart. A feeling that had been gnawing at him all day was becoming harder and harder to ignore. He stared down at Noah’s dress shoes for a long moment, feeling disoriented and confused, and then he had an idea.

 

**_adam (7:15 pm): Has Ronan ever said anything about me?_ **

noah (7:16 pm): sry buddy - doctor patient confidentiality

**_adam (7:16 pm): Noah, I’m serious. Please?_ **

noah (7:16 pm): why the sudden need to know?? did something happen already???

**_adam (7:16 pm): He called me beautiful? Before Tad even really showed up. It felt like he actually meant it?_ **

noah (7:17 pm): THATS MY BOY!!!

noah (7:17 pm): i mean

noah (7:17 pm): he sent me a pic

noah (7:17 pm): and you DO look beautiful (ur welcome btw) 

noah (7:17 pm): so ya i dont blame him

**_adam (7:18 pm): Sorry, I meant to thank you for the clothes earlier. I just got distracted._ **

noah (7:18 pm): ~*~DiStRaCtEd~*~ distracted??? or like traffic was bad distracted

**_adam (7:18 pm): Oh my god. Just regular distracted, Noah._ **

noah (7:18 pm): im not buying it. u forget i saw ronan before he left 

noah (7:18 pm): he certainly looked DISTRACTING to me ;) 

**_adam (7:19 pm): You are really not being as helpful as I’d hoped._ **

noah (7:19 pm): ya well i had hoped u 2 would be making out by now

noah (7:19 pm): so i guess we’re all disappointed tonight, now aren’t we!!

 

__________

 

Tad was standing there in an uncomfortable silence, and Ronan couldn’t quite tell if it was because Tad was afraid of him or disgusted by him, or both. Whatever it was, he felt no desire to start a conversation and help Tad out of his awkward silence, so he stood there and waited.

Finally, Tad opened his mouth. “Where’s Adam?”

Ronan shrugged, his expression remaining deeply uninterested. “How the fuck should I know?”

Tad looked unsure if he wanted to continue speaking with Ronan, but curiosity edged at his expression and he eventually asked, “Did he bring his date?”

A smirk twitched at Ronan’s mouth, but he kept his expression blank. “Yep.”

He could tell Tad was beginning to get annoyed, but was still trying to hide it. After a moment he hesitantly asked, “Do you happen to know where _he_ is?”

Ronan stared into Tad’s eyes, bored, and replied, “You’re looking at him.”

Tad let out an obnoxious laugh. “Good one, Lynch, but you don’t exactly fit the description Adam gave me this morning.”

That got Ronan’s attention, “Oh yeah? And what description was that?” he asked with a challenge in his voice.

Tad counted off qualities on his fingers, “I believe he said his boyfriend was funny, compassionate, selfless, intelligent,” he eyed Ronan up and down condescendingly, “handsome -- I mean the list goes on, but I’m sure you can see why I don’t believe you.”

Ronan was more concerned with whether Adam had actually said those things about him than the fact that Tad didn’t believe him, but he didn’t like the boy’s attitude, so he plastered on a flat smile and said, “Adam finds you overbearing and relentlessly annoying.”

Tad was taken aback for a moment, but he recovered quickly and snarked back, “You’re a good for nothing asshole, Lynch. Anybody with eyes can see that Adam would never choose you.”

Tad’s words cut right through to Ronan’s tightly wound collection of secret fears. A sinking feeling in his gut fiercely agreed with Tad, but he could never let Tad have the satisfaction of knowing that. He erased all emotion from his voice before he spoke, and replied with a disinterested shrug, “One of us is on a date with Adam Parrish, and one of us isn’t. You tell me who he chose.”

Tad glared.  

__________

 

Something about his conversation with Noah had sparked a certain curiosity in Adam, and as he walked back into the main room to look for Ronan and Tad, he considered an experiment that might help him get some answers.

It certainly couldn’t _hurt._ He doubted Ronan would mind, seeing as he had already jumped off that cliff with the whole pet names thing. They _were_ supposed to be dating, after all.

He spotted Ronan and Tad from a distance and could immediately tell from their body language that things hadn’t gone well while he'd been away. Adam felt a pang of guilt for leaving Ronan alone to deal with Tad. He walked faster.

When he was close enough for Ronan and Tad to notice him, they turned to him like they had been waiting. Tad looked irritated and a bit haughty, with his hands on his hips. Ronan looked irritated as well, arms folded across his chest, but he wore the quiet expression of a boy trying to look more angry than wounded.

Concern coursed through Adam and made what he was about to do much easier; it was the thing he always wanted to do when Ronan looked like he was tearing himself down on the inside.

He walked up to Ronan’s side, slid his hand into Ronan’s, and stretched up to plant a soft kiss on the sharp edge of Ronan’s jawline, just under his ear. It was brief, it was faint, it was nearly nothing, but it set his heart racing. When he pulled back, Ronan was blushing but he didn’t look flustered like Adam had hoped he would. Instead he looked proud; vindicated almost. He gave Tad a smug look and raised his and Adam’s linked hands, as if to show them off, and then, in a resplendent display of maturity, he lifted his middle finger and gestured toward Tad, taking Adam’s hand along for the ride.

Adam moved to bring their hands back down and ask Ronan what on earth was going on, but Ronan was already tugging him away from Tad and leading the way through the crowded floor. Adam looked back over his shoulder in time to see Tad, bewildered and sputtering, standing alone by the punch table.

 

__________

 

Ronan didn’t stop walking until they were outside. He led them to the empty courtyard behind the main hall, and then, as if he hadn’t thought that far ahead, his steps wandered aimlessly until they slowed and came to a stop in front of a low wall separating the long walkway from the grassy courtyard.

They sat at the same time, Adam matching Ronan’s movements, not wanting to break whatever spell was keeping their hands firmly laced together.

Adam waited in silence, knowing that Ronan would talk when he was ready. He kept his head down, unable to stop staring at the way Ronan’s knee was resting against his, or the way his thumb was rubbing a nervous back and forth motion across Adam’s hand.

After a few moments of silence, Ronan’s thumb gradually slowed until it came to a complete stop and rested contentedly over Adam’s thumb.

Adam was still staring.

Ronan’s voice snapped his attention back to the present moment. “Tad’s a fucking asshole,” Ronan said, sounding smaller and more tired than Adam had expected.

Adam gave Ronan’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “He can make things pretty uncomfortable.”

Ronan made a sound that almost passed for a tired laugh. “No, Adam, I mean he really sucks.”

Adam nudged Ronan’s shoulder and leaned in to whisper, “Did he try to touch your ankles, too?”

Ronan snorted, and his thumb picked up its nervous rhythm again. He turned his head to look Adam in the eye, and for a moment Adam got lost in the blue of them, the sadness of them, the fondness of them. His confusion was bubbling up inside him again.

Adam couldn’t wait any longer. He had to ask, “What did I miss?”

Ronan turned away. “Nothing, really. He didn’t believe me.”

Adam was trying to wrap his head around why that would be reason for Ronan to get upset, but nothing was making any sense. He guessed at what to say, hoping it might be the right thing. “Hey, I know we didn’t really prepare a backstory, but I’m sure it couldn’t have been that bad.”

Ronan bit his lip, then quietly said, “I didn’t even get that far. He just laughed and said there was no way you would ever choose me.”

Adam’s heart dropped. He realized his hand had involuntarily gripped Ronan’s tighter. Ronan didn’t pull away.

Adam thought for a moment. “Ronan,” he began softly, “are you actually upset that Tad Carruthers thinks I’m too good for you?”

Ronan winced a little, then rolled his eyes, “No, fuck, Parrish, we all know that; it’s just that he was being a complete shitbag about it.”

Adam grinned sympathetically. “You know he’s basically stalking me, Ronan. I’d bet you anything he has an Adam Parrish shrine in his closet. In his mind, the only person good enough for me is himself.”

Ronan cracked a small smile and muttered, “Shit, I’ve never seen an ankle shrine before; that could be fun.”

Adam laughed despite himself, then sunk contentedly into Ronan’s side, his hand warm where Ronan still held it, more loosely now but not like he ever intended to let go.

That is, until Henry Cheng crossed the grass silently from behind and surprised them. He stopped directly behind their seat on the low wall, looked down at their clasped hands, and exclaimed, “Holy Jesus, he wasn’t lying!”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my sincere apologies to tad carruthers for making him such a dick in this.
> 
> 1\. happy belated birthday adam parrish, have fun holding ronan's hand sweetie, u deserve it  
> 2\. noah knows everything. always.  
> 3\. it was about dang time for henry cheng to show up!!  
> 4\. i didn't even fking try to write party details. i literally don't care about the party & it shows. all i care about is ronan and adam. SORRY!!!  
> 5\. i love you all for reading <3 you make my heart so happy!! i hope i can continue writing scenes you enjoy!!!


	7. Chapter 7

Adam pulled his hand away first, and immediately hated himself for it -- or hated Henry for startling him. He quickly set his hand back down in the space between him and Ronan, only a hair’s breadth away from touching the other boy’s fingers again. He didn’t know what he expected; that Ronan would recognize the invitation and slip his hand into his?

He realized with a sinking feeling that he was already completely and utterly addicted to a feeling he would never own.

Henry straddled the wall to sit facing Adam, his impossibly spiked hair backlit by the lively party still going on inside without them. The golden glow suited Henry. He was always bringing color and excitement and life to things, a supportive friend who always seemed to have a fresh perspective. Henry could make any situation brighter.

Except, seemingly, the situation currently happening with Ronan Lynch. “Cheng,” the black-clad boy snarled from the shadows.

“Lynch,” Henry offered cheerily.

Adam looked between the boys seated on either side of him and couldn’t help but smile at their uncanny similarities and comical differences. They were both sharp, ruthlessly truthful, and undeniably brave, but while Ronan expected nothing from people and was content to go unnoticed, Henry demanded attention everywhere he went. Adam could never figure out if it was intentional, like he knew it almost always was with Aglionby boys, but whatever it was, he found that it didn’t bother him like it probably should have. Perhaps it was because Henry had substance; something actually worth paying attention to.  

Tonight, Henry wore the first bit of color Adam had seen all night; a sharp black blazer with an explosion of curling, twisting flowers painted up the sleeves in radiant pinks and yellows. It reminded Adam of Noah: it was hard to stay upset with someone so bright, inside and out. Despite Adam’s lingering annoyance with Henry for startling him into letting go of Ronan’s hand, he offered the boy a genuine smile.  

That was all the encouragement Henry needed to start talking. He cleared his throat and stated matter-of-factly,  “I ran into a very distraught Tad a moment ago.” When neither Ronan nor Adam responded, he continued, “Can you guess what he asked me?”

Ronan muttered, “If you could lasso Adam for him?”

Adam snickered quietly. Henry looked confused for a moment, but shook it off. “No, he asked me if you two were dating.” At this, Henry made a show of leaning forward to peer at Ronan and Adam’s hands, still nearly touching in the space between them.

Adam tried not to read too much into the way Ronan immediately pulled his hand back and began fidgeting with the ever-present leather straps around his wrist.

When he glanced back at Henry, whose face wore an expression that was at once curious and knowing, Adam realized with a start that he had completely forgotten to prepare Henry the way he had with Gansey. Henry could have just blown their cover in front of Tad, and if he had, they might as well go home now and call it a night. His heart sank at the thought, and he nervously asked, “What did you tell him?”

Henry leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. He tilted his head and said, “I told him I had not heard of such a thing, but that it wouldn’t surprise me, considering the way the two of you seem to exist in an endless game of seeing who can stare longer without getting caught.”

Adam felt his face grow hot. He heard Ronan make a strangled noise beside him, but Henry kept talking. “If you ask me, I’m just surprised it took you this long. Gansey and I have been watching your unbearable pining for months, waiting for one of you to suck it up and make a move. Tell me, who finally caved?”

Adam was scrambling to find a way to explain everything to Henry, but his thoughts were distracted by the warmth of knowing one of their closest friends apparently had no trouble believing he and Ronan could be together -- and then his thoughts were distracted by an entirely different kind of warmth: the embarrassment of knowing Ronan had just heard everything Henry had said. He felt a new sense of urgency to explain how mistaken Henry was, but just as he opened his mouth to speak, he felt the gentle, barely-there touch of a finger tracing along the back of his hand. He looked at Ronan before he could stop himself, and when he did, his heart caught in his throat. Ronan was already looking at him.

Adam had completely forgotten Henry’s question by the time Ronan answered, “I did,” and had to retrace the conversation to put the pieces together. When he finally grasped what Ronan was saying, he sputtered, “Wait, what?” He shot Ronan a confused look. Ronan simply slid one finger under Adam’s palm and slowly began tracing the skin there.

Adam was unraveling.

Beside him, Henry suddenly shouted, “Gansey boy! You were right! It’s finally happening!” Adam’s world snapped back into focus, and he realized with a start that Gansey and Tad had come outside to find them. Suddenly, Ronan’s barely-there touches at his hand made sense -- he had noticed Tad’s approach before Adam yet again, and this was his way of asking permission to continue. Adam’s smile was soft and genuine, and he wordlessly turned his hand so that it was facing up in the space between them. Ronan looked at him for a moment, his expression indiscernible, and then he took Adam’s hand in his and closed his fingers, holding on tightly just as he had done before.

Adam wondered if this was what people meant when they said something felt like coming home. How could he know? His heart ached with an emotion too big to name.

 

__________

 

Gansey had waited to respond to Henry until he was close enough to see what was going on. His face lit up when he saw Ronan’s hand clasped around Adam’s. He looked at Ronan curiously. “Is it true now?”

Ronan glanced nervously at Adam with an unspoken question. Neither one of them had considered the possibility of accidentally fooling their closest friends in the process of fooling Adam’s persistent admirer, yet here they were. Adam sat for a moment, brow furrowed in thought, but apparently his mental search came up empty because all he managed to give Ronan was a hint of a shrug. Ronan didn’t know what else to do but look up at Gansey and nod. Gansey stepped closer and slapped Ronan on the back as he cheered, “I knew it! Didn’t I tell you he would say yes?”

Ronan felt like he’d just had the wind knocked out of him. He coughed once, twice, and then ground his jaw shut. He blindly told himself that Adam couldn’t hear the meaning in Gansey’s words like he did -- he couldn’t know -- but then he felt Adam give his hand a squeeze.

So maybe he did know.

Ronan closed his eyes and focused every ounce of energy on breathing, slowing his heart, resisting the urge to tear his hand away and disappear.

The feeling of Adam’s thumb brushing softly against his pulled him out of his thoughts just enough for him to give into the terrifying temptation to steal a glance at the boy next to him.

The look he found in Adam’s eyes was like nothing he had ever seen before. They held a quiet sort of bravery; open and vulnerable. When their eyes met, Adam’s mouth turned up in the softest smile. A stupid, reckless courage pounded in Ronan’s chest. Despite himself, an answering smile tugged at his lips. Turning back to Gansey he challenged, “You mean, didn’t _I_  tell _you_ he wouldn’t be able to resist my charm forever?”

Adam let out a hearty laugh, then nudged Ronan’s foot with his own. “Is that what you’ve been calling it?” He was teasing Ronan while still looking at him like he was the best thing he’d ever seen.

Courage settled into Ronan’s bones. If he could put that look on Adam’s face, he could do anything. He gave Adam's foot a playful, nervous nudge of his own, and muttered quietly, just for him, “It worked, didn’t it?”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> these boys are starting to *figure it out*!!!!!!!!!! and now they get to figure it out!!!!!!! with a small audience of adoring fans and rude af skeptics. hooray!
> 
> gansey is a lovable idiot who knew they were faking it until he went outside and saw them already looking cozy/holding hands. in his mind, they weren't putting on a show for tad, and henry said they were dating for real, so his poor little dad heart just got so excited. you can't blame him!
> 
> next up: these dorks navigate some feelings while pretending to already be pros at feelings. tad still hasn't picked his jaw up off the floor since he realized adam's in love with another man, but he'll get there soon. also, i feel wrong for posting a chapter with no texting, but i needed to get this out there before i analyze it to death and quit. you know!!!
> 
> i got so stuck trying to write this chapter -- thanks for being patient with me!!! and as always, thank you for reading!!! you're all so wonderful and encouraging and you give me the motivation to keep writing even when life gets busy. <3 i hope you'll enjoy what's next!!


	8. Chapter 8

Tad Carruthers had been content to lurk in the background at first, steering clear of the conversation, and instead staring quietly at Ronan and Adam’s hands. It was hard to tell if he was even listening to Gansey and Henry talk excitedly about how they had known all along -- how this was bound to happen sooner or later. He seemed distant, thinking about something off in his own little world.

After a while, the crease in his brow softened and his face resumed its typical Tad expression, an overly-excited smile. He awkwardly stepped closer to Adam and fixed his eyes on his face, refusing to make eye contact with Ronan. “I’m glad you could make it, Adam!”

Ronan tapped his feet in an impatient rhythm. Sitting through uncomfortable pleasantries with Tad Carruthers was the last thing he wanted to be doing right now. Since their silent understanding, their wordless recognition of this _something_ between them, Adam’s thumb had not stopped moving. Currently it was gently stroking a continuous line from the base of Ronan’s hand, up along his thumb, and back down again. Over and over. Ronan tried to keep a grip on his thoughts, but his skin felt electric and there was too much _Adam_ going on for him to be able to breathe properly.

Tad reached out to nudge Adam on the shoulder. “You look good! I mean, don’t get me wrong, you always look good, but wow! You sure do clean up nicely!” He still hadn’t blinked.

Ronan wondered at the kind of stupidity it took for someone to flirt with Adam Parrish while he was so clearly busy taking another man apart. The complete pointlessness of this conversation grated on him. He pressed himself into Adam’s side, leaning into Tad’s line of sight with a raised eyebrow. When Tad’s pleasant expression slipped for a half-second, Ronan shot him a dark smirk and said, “If you think he cleans up nicely, you should see him when he gets dirty.” Beside him, he could hear Adam let out a breath and mutter an exasperated, “Oh my God.” A wild grin crossed Ronan’s face.

Okay, so maybe this wasn’t entirely pointless, if he could still make Adam blush.  

Tad rolled his eyes. Instead of replying to Ronan, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his khaki slacks and attempted to keep his voice conversational. “So, Adam, how long have you and Ronan been together?”

Adam thought for a moment and then gave an exaggerated shrug and drawled, “Define _together._ ”

Ronan leaned in again and stage-whispered, “Yeah, like ‘ _sex’_ together, or ‘ _we’re talking’_ together?” Adam withdrew his hand from Ronan’s, covering his face and muffling a horrified laugh. “Jesus Christ, Ronan.”

Tad looked supremely uncomfortable, but he didn’t let that stop him from answering Adam. “You know what I mean,” he averted his eyes and spoke quietly through clenched teeth, as if that would somehow help disguise the nature of their conversation from Ronan, sitting two inches away. “It seems your friends have just heard the news, so I can’t imagine things are too serious yet?”

There was something irritatingly hopeful about the way he said this, and Ronan bristled. To his surprise, Adam sounded as annoyed as he felt. “If that’s your way of asking if I’m going to get sick of Ronan any time soon, sorry, that’s not going to happen.” Their eyes met briefly, hinting at a conversation they couldn’t have here.

Tad ignored them and shrugged. “A guy can hope. It _is_ Ronan.”

“It _is_ Ronan,” Henry interrupted happily, “which is why I am dying to hear how he turned on the charm and managed to snag a catch like Adam.” Henry winked at Adam and then leaned past him to shoot a meaningful look at Ronan. He asked, “Are you ever going to tell me the story?”

Ronan shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. “Shit, I don’t know. There’s not much to tell.”

Tad narrowed his eyes, “That’s easy enough to believe, but unfortunately I’m still curious.”   

Before he could form a snarky reply, Ronan’s phone went off in his pocket. He saw Noah’s name on the screen and briefly weighed his options. He could stay here and fumble through a make believe story about getting Adam Parrish to fall for him, or he could pretend this was important and excuse himself. He quickly leaned into Adam and whispered, “You're on your own for this one, babe. Make me sound good.” He ran a rough hand through Adam’s hair as he stood, aggravating only some of the blush off the boy’s face, and then waved his phone at the rest of them in a wordless excuse before walking off into the darkened courtyard.

 

__________

  


czerny (8:05 pm): how are things going with BEAUTIFUL??? 

czerny (8:05 pm): ;) 

czerny (8:05 pm): you sly dog!!!! 

_ronan (8:06 pm): i dont know what ur talking about_

czerny (8:06 pm): LIES 

czerny (8:06 pm): adam told me everything 

czerny (8:06 pm): so u think hes beautiful huh? :’) god ims o proud 

czerny (8:06 pm): look @ u go!!!!!!! 

_ronan (8:07 pm): adam was texting you about me?_

czerny (8:07 pm): omfg yes like an hour ago?? have u 2 still not figured ur shit out? 

czerny (8:07 pm): honestly ro do i need to come down there myself 

czerny (8:07 pm): bc i will. i stg i will pause this game and drive over there in my underwear to stage an intervention if i have to 

_ronan (8:08 pm): i’d like to see u try_

_ronan (8:08 pm): u might look a little underdressed next to henry..._

czerny (8:08 pm): omg yesss henry!!!!  <3 what is he wearing????? 

czerny (8:08 pm): omg no! focus noah. u can tell me all about delicious mr. cheng later 

czerny (8:09 pm): ok honestly tho - how is everything going? 

_ronan (8:09 pm): worse after hearing u call henry cheng delicious. never do that again._

_ronan (8:10 pm): but things r ok i think._

_ronan (8:10 pm): gansey’s a fucking moron and basically told adam how i feel_

_ronan (8:10 pm): but he’s not freaking out? he’s smiling more and still holding my hand so that’s good right_

czerny (8:10  pm): YOAU RARE HYOLDING HANDS????????? 

czerny (8:11 pm): RONAN NIAL LLYCH I WILL FKUCKING KILL YOY 

czerny (8:11 pm): i’m coming over therer rignt now! 

czerny (8:11 pm): its finally hpapening!!! 

_ronan (8:12 pm): jesus chill out you sound like gansey_

_ronan (8:12 pm): idk if anything is even happening… we haven’t talked yet_

czerny (8:12 pm): ok so what in the ever loving fuck are u doing talking to me? go hold his hand some more u dumbass!! 

czerny (8:12 pm): i cnat believe :’) 

czerny (8:12 pm): if u dont talk to him after this im disowning u 

czerny (8:13 pm); honestly ronan its time 

_ronan (8:13 pm): ill say it again - chill the fuck out_

_ronan (8:13 pm): im waiting to be sure. fucking sue me_

  


__________

  


All eyes were on Adam Parrish, eagerly awaiting the story of how he and Ronan got together. Adam was honestly a bit relieved that Ronan wasn’t here for this, because he wasn’t sure how much more pretending he could do tonight. He quickly decided against making up a fake story for Tad; instead, he would try to stick as close to the truth as possible. He felt he owed himself -- owed Ronan -- that much.

He sucked in a breath and began, “I guess the reason you aren’t surprised about all of this is because we’ve been close for a long time.”

Tad interrupted by mumbling to himself, “Oh, no, I’ve been surprised by that all along.”

Adam ignored him and continued, “I don’t really even know when it turned into something more; but recently we’ve been spending more time together, and, I don’t know, I guess something clicked?”

Henry sighed and looked at Adam with affectionate disappointment. “Adam, you’re not telling us anything we didn’t already know. I, for one, want details! How did he tell you? Who kissed who first?”

Adam chewed at his lip, aware of all the times he’d desperately wanted to kiss Ronan but hadn’t been allowed. He wished he had an answer for Henry, but he wouldn’t lie about this, so he kept quiet. Tad seized the opportunity to butt in and sighed haughtily, “I, for one, don’t want to think about Ronan Lynch kissing anybody.”

Adam was beginning to see why Ronan had been so done with Tad earlier; it was growing more difficult to restrain himself every time Tad made some stupid remark. Adam looked up, thoroughly unamused, and asked, “What’s your problem, Tad?”

Tad rolled his eyes, like Adam was the one with a problem. “I just don’t get what you see in him.”

“I can provide you with an itemized list, if you’d like,” Adam said dryly.

Beside him, Henry choked on a laugh and Gansey cleared his throat to defend his good friend’s honor, “Tad, we know Ronan can be a bit prickly at times, but he has a good heart, and he’s a good guy.”

Tad looked unconvinced. He whined, “For Adam, though? How does that even work?”

Adam raised an eyebrow. He was done trying to be nice to someone who consistently ignored everything he said, but acted like they had a say in his personal choices. “It works perfectly,” he said, giving Tad a cold look. “He acts like an asshole sometimes; giving me mixtapes with only the shittiest song in the world, showing up in the middle of the night to harass me while I try to study, taking up every minute of my free time with trips to the barns…” Tad was beginning to look satisfied with himself, but Adam rushed on with a new warmth in his voice, “--but that song makes me laugh when I’m driving home after a shitty day at work, he makes sure I actually have fun studying Latin instead of just staring at the pages until dawn, and our trips to the barns are some of the only times I ever feel truly relaxed.”

Tad was silent, so Adam continued. “And if you think he’s the only one capable of being an asshole, you’re mistaken. He’s not afraid to call me out on my shit, and he doesn’t leave when I call him out on his. We’re actually helping each other grow, here.”

Gansey had a quiet smile on his face; he looked proud, but for once he wasn’t saying anything. Tad wasn’t completely convinced, though, and he grumbled, “That’s all great, Adam, but it just sounds like you are really good friends. What about that _spark_? Don’t you want that?”

At that, Adam laughed out loud. “Well, since you didn’t want to hear about Ronan Lynch kissing anybody, I thought you might not want to hear that all I can think about is kissing Ronan Lynch.” He felt lighter, saying it out loud.

Tad looked incredibly uncomfortable, and Henry was laughing and slapping Adam on the back, but Adam still wasn’t finished. “Look, I’m done trying to convince you that Ronan is too good for all of us, because, frankly, your opinion is irrelevant, but if it’ll help you sleep at night, just know that he’s the best friend I’ve ever had, and he’s the only person in the world I’ve ever felt this way about. I know you were hoping the lack of a story meant there was nothing here, but that’s not the case at all. The reason there’s not much of a story is because all he’s ever had to do was ask.”

  


__________

  
  


For the second time that night, Ronan was dragging Adam away from Tad without a word. Adam’s heart raced from the surprise of it all; he hadn’t even heard Ronan come back, he had no idea how long he had been listening. All he knew was that he’d suddenly felt Ronan’s hand grab his, heard him mutter a gruff, “Noah called, I have to go,” towards Gansey and Henry, and then they were walking briskly across the courtyard towards the back entrance of the main hall.

When they got to the door, though, Ronan kept walking. He led Adam along the side of the building until they rounded the corner into darkness, away from the lights, away from prying eyes. He released Adam’s hand and paced back and forth quietly.

Adam stood silently, unsure of what to say or do. In the half-light, he could barely make out Ronan’s wrecked expression, but it was enough to undo him. He scrambled to organize his thoughts. He reached out a hand to touch at Ronan’s arm and asked, “Is Noah alright?”

Ronan stopped and looked at him curiously for a moment, and then remembered. “Oh. Shit. Yeah. He’s fine, he’s playing video games in his underwear.”

Adam gave a little surprised laugh, and then hesitated. “So…”

Ronan looked away, and then glanced back, nervous. “I just needed to…” He stopped, and tried again, “Were you…” he took a deep breath, “How much of that was true?” His gaze was intense now, and Adam couldn’t look away as swallowed. He was barely able to get the words out. “All of it.”

When Ronan didn’t respond, he added somewhat defensively, “I’m not good at pretending.”

Ronan laughed suddenly, and a mischievous grin tugged at his lips. “So you can’t stop thinking about kissing me, huh?”

Adam flushed and wanted desperately to roll his eyes, but he was still being pulled into Ronan’s steady gaze. He tried for a glare instead, “In the brief gaps between thinking about leaving you in a box on the side of the road.”

Ronan took a step closer, still smiling, and challenged, “Who would help you enjoy your Latin homework?”

“Jesus Christ, Ronan, how much did you hear?” Adam exclaimed, his desperate blush reaching out to strangle his voice. He tried to take a step back to catch his breath, but found himself backed into the wall.

Ronan’s smile grew soft and all hints of teasing vanished as he quietly answered, “Enough.” He closed the distance between them with one more step and reached out a tentative hand to brush along Adam’s cheek. He paused for a brief moment, leaving time for Adam to say something, to look away, to take it all back.

Adam reached out an unsteady hand and touched gently at Ronan’s tie; feeling the silky material between his fingers.

Neither boy moved for a long moment, letting an overwhelming feeling wash over them in the smallest of touches and the quiet sound of their shared ragged breathing. Ronan’s thumb gently traced over Adam’s cheekbone, and slowly slid down to run across the corner of his mouth, and then it was all too much. Adam gave Ronan’s tie a single tug with one hand and wrapped the other around his neck, pulling him close in a burst of impatience. Ronan stopped short and grinned, his nose grazing up and down the side of Adam’s in a motion that couldn’t have been anything but playful. His breath lingered hot for a half-second before he slowly pressed his lips to Adam’s. The playfulness disappeared behind an earnest, soft kiss.

  


__________

  
  


Ronan held himself together with his hands tangled in Adam’s hair, and Adam held him close with his hands pulling at anything he could grasp; a tie, a shirt collar, his hips. Lips pressed together again and again, retracing months of secret desires, melting into each other with a slick warmth until the feeling in Ronan’s chest threatened to shatter him. He broke away to catch his breath, leaning his forehead against Adam’s and letting out a shaky laugh. “Shit.”

Adam’s ragged breathing mirrored his own. “Shit,” he agreed breathlessly. After a moment to catch his breath, he grinned. “‘You should see him when he gets dirty’? _Really_ , Ronan?” When Ronan didn’t reply right away, Adam nudged him and teased, “Is that why you’re always so irritable when I come back from a shift at Boyd’s?”

Ronan pulled away and tried for a scowl. “Shut the fuck up, Parrish.” He added quietly, “You have no idea how hard it is to be around you and not be allowed to touch.”

Adam tugged at his hands, pulling them around his waist before reaching up to take Ronan’s face in his hands. “That shouldn’t be a problem, anymore,” he grinned, sliding his hands around the back of Ronan’s neck, “and yes, I _do_ know how hard it is. You’ve never tried writing an essay with the guy you like sitting ten feet away.”

Ronan grinned, “So you like me, huh?”

Adam rolled his eyes before burying his head in Ronan’s shoulder. “I thought that was pretty obvious, dumbass.”

After a quiet moment, Ronan leaned into the side of Adam’s face and whispered softly, “Do you want to do this for real?”

Against him, Adam smiled. “What exactly are you asking me?”

“Come on, Parrish,” Ronan complained. After a moment, he took a deep breath and relented, “Do you want to be my boyfriend?”

Adam pulled his head back, overflowing with visible happiness, and nodded.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t quite hear you, what was that?” Ronan teased.

Adam looked up as if asking the sky for help, and laughed, “Fuck you. Yes, I want to be your boyfriend.”

Ronan crowded in close to steal another kiss, but it only lasted a second before they were both smiling too much to continue.

The sound of Ronan’s phone vibrating broke the intimate silence, and Adam motioned for him to check it, if only for a distraction so he could have a second to control his pounding heart.

  


czerny (8:43 pm): im here 

czerny (8:43 pm): i couldnt take it anymore!!! 

czerny (8:43 pm): u guys need serious help 

czerny (8:43 pm): where r u?? 

  


Ronan started laughing, loud and full, and Adam leaned in to read the messages. “Oh my God,” he laughed, and reached for the phone. “Give me that.”

  


_ronan (8:44 pm): Sorry, I’m busy making out with my boyfriend._

_ronan (8:44 pm): Don’t really feel like stopping any time soon._

_ronan (8:44 pm): But since you’re here -- Henry was asking about you. ;)_

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ohhhhhh myyyyyyy gooooooddddd *sweats nervously* im just going to post this before i leave for the weekend and pray there are no huge errors and that i didn't ruin the entire story with this CHEESE FEST of an ending!!!! 
> 
> writing kissing is SO HARD? what have i done??? 
> 
> omg i hope all of you lovely readers enjoy this final update, and that this story brought some happiness to your life! you have certainly made me smile countless times with your sweet comments! <3 thank you thank you thank you!!! <3


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